In 24 games, we have learned much about this St. John’s team. St. John’s has shown it can blow big leads and overcome equally big deficits. It can force opposing teams to handle the ball as if it’s been covered in Vaseline, yet allow ridiculously uncontested layups.

Game 25 today in a sold-out Garden against powerhouse Duke will tell us more about the Red Storm than any other game this season. It will tell us about the Red Storm’s pride, or lack of it.

“This is a gut check,” acknowledged forward Kyle Cuffe.

Is it ever! The Red Storm (12-12) not only faces The Post’s No. 4-ranked team, but it comes face-to-face with the stark reality that it could fall below .500 for the first time since Dec. 16, 2000.

A loss today and St. John’s must win its last two games (Rutgers on Thursday and next Saturday at Miami) to be eligible for postseason play. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

First and foremost, St. John’s must give Duke (20-4) a reason to take this series seriously.

Since the Red Storm and Blue Devils split the first two meetings with each winning on the other’s homecourt, Duke has pulverized St. John’s in the last two meetings, winning by 32 and 42 points.

“That’s what the coaching staff has been preaching the last couple of days,” said forward Eric King, who’s expected to play today after being benched against B.C. Wednesday.

“We’ve got to give them a reason to play [us].”

Earlier this week, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski downplayed his program’s dominance over St. John’s in the last two games, saying there are swings in every rivalry.

The Blue Devils won 3-of-4 in the first four-game series with St. John’s and they are 10-point favorites to win today’s game, the first of another four-game series.

Don’t expect the Blue Devils to take the Red Storm lightly, even if Hatten, who will be less than 100 percent after suffering a severe left-thigh bruise in Wednesday night’s 81-63 loss to Boston College, plays limited minutes.

Freshman Tim Doyle remembers attending a Duke practice two years ago and was amazed at the Blue Devils’ intensity.

“Another team wouldn’t be as up for this game,” said Doyle. “I’ve seen them practice and I know what kind of work ethic those guys have. They play Davidson just like they’re playing Maryland. It’s a mindset with that team.”

No wonder Duke hardly flinched last season when St. John’s got out to a 20-13 lead in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The Blue Devils responded with a mind-boggling 35-1 run to put the game out of reach by halftime.

“I don’t think we’ve given them a sense of what St. John’s basketball is all about,” said Hatten. “The last few years have been tough for us, especially this year because we’ve had so many trials. I can’t speak for who they play. That’s up to their coach. I can only speak to how we play.”

Today, at the World’s Most Famous Arena, we see if the Red Storm play with pride.